Tower leg support and storage device

ABSTRACT

A superstructure, a rotatable device for providing a rotatable mount on the superstructure, and a storage device configured for attachment to the rotatable device are disclosed. The superstructure may be used with, for instance, a boat, and may be collapsible. The rotatable device and storage device may form a rack for mounting board-like objects on, for instance, a boat such that the items may be stored outboard of a passenger compartment, but may be rotated such that a user may select a position for the device for ingress and egress to and from the device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/599,756, filed Aug. 6, 2004 and titled “Tower Leg Support and Rack,” and to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/119,317, filed Apr. 29, 2005 and titled “Rotating Storage Device,” which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/566,315, filed Apr. 29, 2004 and titled “Rotating Board Rack,” the entirety of each being incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a superstructure mounted on a boat, a support structure for the superstructure, and a storage device for use with the superstructure, and more particularly, to a positionable superstructure, support structure, and storage device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is common to have a tower or superstructure mounted on a boat for a variety of functions. For instance, the tower may be used for radar, weather sensors, radio or other communications equipment, speakers, lights, beacons, tow pylons, flags, or other devices and equipment. The tower is often made of metal tubing, such as square or round aluminum tubing, and spans from points fore and aft of a pilot or other area. Even for a small power boat, an exemplary tower may be 8 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 6 feet tall. Regardless of attached equipment, such a structure can be quite heavy.

For a number of reasons, it is occasionally desirable to collapse or remove the tower from the boat. By way of example, a dock or slip space rented for the season may not provide sufficient clearance for the tower. If a boat owner does not anticipate using the boat in the near future, it may be useful to cover the interior and/or entrance portions of the boat for protection from the elements, from vandals or thieves, or from trespassers. Furthermore, a dry-dock space for storage or repair may require the removal of such a tower.

In addition, boats historically often suffer from a need for size-economical storage space. It is not uncommon to store extra water skis, wake boards, fishing poles, and the like on a boat. Typically, such items are simply piled into a passenger area of the boat. Beneficially, the items are easily stored or accessed by a passenger when needed. On the other hand, the items stored in this manner are then underfoot, loose, and cumbersome, at the minimum. In addition, bringing such items into the passenger area after use often meant bringing in items that would drain water into the cabin.

One solution to these shortcomings has been to provide storage devices that allow the items to be mounted outboard of the passenger compartment or otherwise mounted on the exterior of the boat. In this manner, water dripping from the stored times is directed out of the passenger area, and the items are not in the way of passengers in the interior of the boat. One such instance of such outboard storage is to provide a storage device mounted to the support structure for the boat tower.

Current tower-mounted storage devices have several other shortcomings. Such tower-mounted storage devices are generally fixed to the outboard side of the tower support structure, an awkward location for the items to be stored in and removed from the device. A user has to reach around the support structure to which the storage device is mounted in order to access the storage device. In such position, a person needs to be careful when storing or removing an item in the storage device and often the boat needs to be properly steadied. In addition, utilization of the tower support structure for storage may also restrict the ease of collapsing or removing the tower. Moreover, these storage devices may be mounted such that the boat is greater than the legal width, typically 102 inches, permitted for over-land transport of the boat on a trailer.

Accordingly, there is a need for an improved storage device and a tower that can be simply collapsed or removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with one aspect, a rotatable device for providing a rotatable mount on a superstructure is disclosed. A storage device is configured for attachment to the rotatable device for the storage of loose items. Preferably, the superstructure may be used with, for instance, a boat, and may be collapsible. Therefore, the storage device is preferably configured to hold water skis, wake boards, oars, fishing poles, and the like. The rotatable device may be moved or rotated between a plurality of positions. In at least one position, the storage device is generally oriented towards a person for inserting or storing items, or items stored therein are generally disposed towards the interior or passenger area, or towards passengers in general. In a second position, the storage device is generally oriented such that the device and items therein are generally disposed away from passengers or the passenger compartment. Accordingly, a user may selectively position the device for use, such as fore ingress and egress of the items to and from storage in the device.

In accordance with other aspects, the rotatable device includes a pair of bearings to permit the rotation of the storage device. The pair of bearings distribute the weight and torque from the storage device and stored items through the rotatable device and the superstructure.

In accordance with a further aspect, the bearings preferably include a braking mechanism to adjustably control the amount of friction in the rotatable mount. In use, the amount of force or tension within the rotatable mount may be adjusted as necessary to control the rotation of the rotatable device.

In accordance with another aspect, the rotatable device includes one or more components for securing the position of the device. The component may be a securing member that is shiftable between positions to secure and release a portion of the device to rotate relative to another portion of the device. The securing member may include an end received by a receiving structure of the device to prevent or restrict relative motion. The securing member may include an elongate portion that is shiftable either in a longitudinal or linear manner, or may include an elongate portion that is threadably shifted. Alternatively and in addition, more than one securing member may be provided, and one may be shifted threadably while another may be linearly shifted.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary boat and a tower including a tower support or leg with a storage device secured and selectively positionable relative thereto;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the tower leg of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded side elevational view of a lower portion of the tower leg of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded side elevational view of an upper portion of the tower leg of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the upper portion of the tower leg taken through the line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the storage device including a storage frame, a handle assembly, a knob assembly, and an elongate body, the storage device securable by securements with upper and lower support plates;

FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective view of the elongate body of the storage device of FIG. 6 showing the components of the handle assembly;

FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the handle assembly;

FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the knob assembly;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of an alternative tower securable with a boat, and an alternative storage device secured and selectively positionable relative thereto;

FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the storage device of FIG. 10 including an elongate body having connections for securing the storage device to upper and lower portions of the tower; and

FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the elongate body of the storage device of FIG. 10.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, a superstructure or tower 10 having a storage device 12 for storing or mounting items thereon are illustrated for use on a boat 14. In the present embodiment, the storage device 12 is secured with and forms a part of the tower 10. The tower 10 is typically secured either directly or indirectly to a deck surface or a hull 16 of the boat 14 so that boat passengers may pass below a central portion 10 a of the tower 10, and so that controls 18 of the boat may be located below the tower 10. In this manner, a pilot of the boat 14 would be present below the tower 10 when operating the controls 18. When operating the boat 14, the pilot's ability to move within the tower 10 is preferably unhindered, as would be desirable for viewing the operational field of the boat including the water surface.

In one form, the tower structure 10 includes an upper support structure 20 and a pair of spaced tower supports or legs 22 that hold the upper support structure 20 elevated above the boat hull 16. The upper support structure 20 further includes a crossbar 24 spanning between a pair of front support arms 26 secured to the boat 14 by respective front anchor members 28. As depicted, the front anchor members 28 may provide a particular mounting orientation between the front support arms 26 and the boat 14 so that the front crossbar 24 is elevated a predetermined distance for ease of an individual's movement in a passenger compartment of the boat 14.

Each leg 22 extends from one of the front support arms 26 downwardly to the boat hull 16. The leg 22 preferably includes an upper support plate 40 joined to a lower support plate 42 by the storage device 12. An upper mount 30 joins one end 34 of the leg 22 (i.e., an upper end of the upper support plate 40) to the front support arm 26, and a lower mount 32 joins an opposite end 36 of the leg 22 (i.e., a lower end of the lower support plate 42) to the boat surface 16. As illustrated, the lower support plate 42 generally flares upwardly and forwardly from the boat surface 16, and the upper support plate 40 generally flares forwardly and downwardly from the arm 26, the storage device 12 being located between and joining the upper and lower plates 40, 42. The leg 22 may optionally include various internal designs, shapes, openings, or other features for decoration, weight saving, structural support, and the like. Additionally, to permit the tower 10 to be retrofitted to an existing boat, it is preferred that the upper mount 30 and the lower mount 32 are variably securable so that the leg 22 may be installed with boats 14 and towers 10 having different configurations in terms of design, shape, length, or width, for instance.

As previously stated, the tower 10 also includes the storage device 12 secured to and preferably forming a portion of the leg 22. Herein, the storage device 12 is depicted as a diamond-shaped structure having an exemplary securing member or rack 44 extending therefrom for securing items thereto. In the present form depicted in FIG. 1, the rack 44 includes structure 45 defining slots 47 for receiving items such as wakeboards (not shown). It should be noted, however, the storage device 12 may be configured in a number of manners and may, accordingly, be used for storing a variety of objects typically used on a boat, such as but not limited to water skis, wakeboards, oars, paddles, fishing poles, flags, and the like. As illustrated, the tower 10 is provided with two storage devices 12 on respective port and starboard support legs 22, though the tower 10 may alternatively be provided with a single storage device 12 or with several storage devices 12. While it is preferred that the storage device joins the two separate plates 40 and 42, the leg 22 may also form a single piece with the storage device 12 mounted thereon, or may form a plurality of separate pieces joined together by the storage device 12. In addition, while it is also preferred to join the storage device 12 to the leg 22, it is also acceptable for the storage device 12 to be secured to any portion of the tower 10 or the boat 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, the lower mount 32 may be secured to the sidewall or other surface of the boat hull 16, for instance. In the depicted embodiment, the lower mount 32 includes a base 56, which is preferably received within an opening in the hull 16 and positioned flush thereagainst. A tongue 58 extending from the lower end 36 of the lower support plate 42 is inserted and secured within a receiving slot 60 in the base 56. The tongue 58 is preferably integral with and extends below a lower, mating edge 55 of the lower support plate 42. When inserted into the base 56, the lower, mating edge 55 rests on an upper surface 57 of the base 56. The tongue 58 is secured to the base 56 through a plurality of fasteners 62 extending through apertures 64 in the base 56 and through apertures 66 in the tongue 58. A second plate 68 may also be received within the receiving slot 60 and positioned between the tongue 58 and an inside surface of the base 56. The cover plate 68 also includes apertures 70 for receipt of the fasteners 62 and, therefore, is also secured to the base 56 and tongue 58 within the receiving slot 60 by the fasteners 62.

The upper mount 30 secures the front support arm 26 to the upper end 34 of the tower support legs 22. The upper mount 30 includes a bracket 80 mounted to one of the front support arms 26, and a tongue 82 extending upwardly from an upper edge 81 of the upper support plate 40. The bracket 80 preferably includes a concave upper surface 83 allowing the bracket 80 to mate with the front support arms 26, commonly elongate tubular structures having a convex outer surface. The bracket 80 is joined to the front support arms 26 by welds, fasteners, or other securing methods suitable for use on a boat.

In a preferred embodiment, the bracket 80 is variably attached to the upper support plate 40. In this regard, the bracket 80 includes a receiving slot 84 to receive the tongue 82 therein. The slot 84 is sized and shaped to allow pivoting between the bracket 80 and the leg 22. Accordingly, the receiving slot 84 preferably has a length that is longer than a length of the tongue 82, and the tongue 82 includes curved edges 86, both of which facilitate relative movement or pivoting between the leg 22 and the bracket 80.

To secure the tongue 82 to the bracket 80 in the variable attachment, both the tongue 82 and the bracket 80 preferably include openings to receive a fastener 87 therethrough. For example, the bracket 80 includes generally oval-shaped or elongated apertures 88 and the tongue 82 includes generally circular openings 90. The elongated apertures 88 also permit the relative movement or pivoting between the leg 22 and the bracket 80. For example, the elongated shape of the opening 88, the tongue curved edges 86, and the oversized length of the slot 84 permit the leg 22 to pivot relative to the bracket 80 when the fasteners 67 are only loosely fastened.

In this configuration, the variable attachment between the upper support plate 40 and the bracket 80 permits adjustment of the tower 10 during installation or pivoting of the leg 22 for ease of storage. For example, during installation, the bracket 80 may be initially attached to the upper support plate 40 in a loose engagement. In this manner, the tower front support 20 and the leg 22 may then be pivoted, urged, or otherwise moved into the correct orientation on the boat 14 to secure the front support arm 26 at the desired elevation or position and also be received in the front anchor 28 and the lower mounts 32 at the same time. Once correctly positioned, the tower 10 may be firmly secured. On the other hand, during storage of the tower 10, the leg 22 may be removed from the lower mounts 32 and pivoted at the upper mount 30 to collapse the leg 22 inwardly to the tower front support 20 to form a more compact structure for ease of storage. For instance, the legs 22 may be removed from the lower mounts 32 by first loosening the fasteners 62. Next, the tower support tongue 58 may be removed from the lower mount receiving slot 60. Upon removal of the leg 22 from the lower mount 32, the legs 22 may then be rotated or pivoted around the upper mount 30 so that the leg 22 is clear of the boat 14. At such point, the entire tower 10 may then be collapsed or removed as desired. Alternatively, the leg 22 may also be released from the upper mount 30 to further collapse or dissemble the tower 10.

Referring to FIGS. 6-9, an exemplary embodiment of the storage device 12 is illustrated in detail. The storage device 12 includes a central shaft 100, upper and lower mounts 102 a and 102 b, respectively, and a support frame 103 including a pair of wings 104 extending outwardly from opposite sides of the central shaft 100. The wings 104 support the rack 44, noted above, and include securements 106 in the form of rectangular openings for holding the rack 44 or other mounting device (see FIG. 1). The storage device 12 further includes an upper bearing portion 110 and a lower bearing portion 112 to which the wings 104 are secured. The bearing portions 110, 112 permit the wings 104 to rotate around the central shaft 100 so that the wings 104 and the accompanying rack 44 can be rotated to a variety of positions relative to the central shaft 100. As will be further described below, the central shaft 100 utilizes the upper and lower mounts 102 a and 102 b for securing with the legs 22. As a result, the wings 104, through the bearing portions 110 and 112, may be rotated around the central shaft 100 to locate the wings 104 in a variety of positions relative to the tower 10 or other structure to which the storage device 12 is secured.

The storage device 12 is secured to the tower 10, and preferably, secured to the legs 22 via the upper and lower mounts 102 a and 102 b. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the upper mount 102 a may be a separate component that is joined to an upper end surface 114 a of the central shaft 100 by a fastener 116. In one form, the fastener 116 includes a bolt 120 and alignment pins or pegs 122. The bolt 120 extends through a hole 124 in the mount 102 a and secures the mount 102 a to the central shaft 100 through an opening 126 in the central shaft end surface 114 a. Spaced from the opening 126, the central shaft end surface 114 a also includes alignment holes 128 that receive the pegs 122 therein. Similarly, a lower surface 130 of the upper mount 102 a includes similar alignment holes 128, which also receive the pegs 122 therein. In this manner, the pegs 122 and the alignment holes 128 ensure proper orientation of the upper mount 102 a to the central shaft 100, which is preferably the central shaft end surface 114 abutting the upper mount lower surface 130. The lower mount 102 b is secured to an opposite end surface 114 b of the central shaft 100 in a similar fashion.

The upper mount 102 a includes a securing portion 131, which in this embodiment defines an L-shape with an upper section of the mount 102 a. The securing portion 131 is received in a corresponding recess 132 in the upper plate 40. Fasteners 134 secure the upper mount 102 a to the upper support plate 40. The lower mount 102 b is secured in a similar fashion to the lower plate 42. In this manner, the upper support plate 40 and the lower support plate 42 may be separate pieces that are joined together with the central shaft 100 via the mounts 102 a and 102 b of the storage device 12. Therefore, the storage device 12 forms a structural portion of the leg 22 for supporting weight and stress from the crossbar 24, including when accessories are mounted to the tower 10 or a person is being towed by the boat 14.

It should be noted that, while the mounts 102 a, 102 b are preferably the separate structures described above, it is also acceptable for the mounts 102 a, 102 b to be integral with the central shaft 100 so that the shaft 100, the upper mount 102 a, and the lower mount 102 b are a single component. However, use of the separate mounts 102 a, 102 b is advantageous in that the storage device 12 may be secured to a variety of different structures (i.e., different types of towers 10, varying surfaces of the boat 12, varying types of scaffolding, etc.) simply by changing the configuration, shape, or structure of the mounts 102 a, 102 b that are joined to the central shaft 100. For instance, FIGS. 10-12, which are described below, illustrate alternative mounts for the central shaft 100. Furthermore, while is it illustrated and described that the upper mount 102 a and the lower mount 102 b are similar in structure, the mounts 102 a and 102 b may also have varying configurations depending on what structure the storage device 12 is to be secured to.

Alternatively, while it is preferred that the upper support plate 40 and lower support plate 42 are separate pieces, these components may also be a single piece. In this manner, the single leg 22 may include a corresponding recess or recesses (not shown) for receipt of the upper mount 102 a, the lower mount 102 b, and the central shaft 100 therein. In this alternative configuration, the storage device 12 does not necessarily form a structural portion of the leg 22, but is secured to the one-piece leg 22.

Referring to FIG. 7, the central shaft 100 is illustrated in more detail. The central shaft 100 includes an elongate body portion 140, the upper bearing portion 110, and the lower bearing portion 112 (shown in an exploded view for more detail). More specifically, the elongate body portion 140 is preferably a cylindrical shaft having the opposing end surfaces 114 a, 114 b thereon. The body portion 140 includes an upper recess 144 a (not shown) and lower recess 144 b, respectively, for receipt of the upper and lower bearing portions 110 and 112. The upper bearing portion 110 includes a pair of half-members 142 a and 142 b that, when joined together, form the bearing portion 110. When assembled, the upper bearing 110 is received in the upper bearing recess of the elongate body portion 140. Likewise, the lower bearing portion 112 also includes a pair of half-members 142 a and 142 b that, when assembled, form the bearing portion 112 and is received in the lower bearing recess 144 b.

For ease of relative rotation between the bearing portions 110, 112 and the elongate body 140, a low-friction member 152, such as nylon, delron, or the like, may be provided therebetween. Referring to the lower bearing portion 112, which is illustrated in FIG. 9 in an exploded view for convenience, an inner surface 146 of the bearing half member 142 a and an inner surface 148 of the bearing recess 144 b preferably include corresponding annular grooves 150 in which the low-friction member 152 is inserted. As depicted, the recess 144 b and bearing half-member 142 a include a pair of spaced grooves 150, and the low-friction member 152 is a preferably a pair of space rings each received in a separate groove 150. The upper bearing recess 144 a and upper bearing portion 110 may include similar features.

It can be appreciated, however, that the bearing portions 110, 112 may include any number of low-friction members 152. Optionally, the inner surfaces 146, 148 as well as the low-friction member 152 may also be lubricated with a suitable marine lubrication. Alternatively, the bearing portions 110, 112 may also be assembled without use of the low-friction member 152, but instead use the marine lubricant on the inner surfaces 146 and 148.

The bearing portions 110, 112 also preferably include a tension control device or braking mechanism 153 to control how freely the bearing portions 110, 112 rotate around the central shaft body 140 by providing an adjustable frictional engagement between the bearing portions 110, 112 and the central shaft body 140. Again referring to the lower bearing portion 112, in one form, the braking mechanism 153 includes a tension surface 154 within the elongate body recess 144 b that frictionally engages a tensioning assembly 156 in the lower bearing half-member 142 b. If more resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion 112 is desired, the tensioning assembly 156 is tightened against the tension surface 154 to provide more shaft tension. Alternatively, if less resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion 112 is desired, the tensioning assembly 156 is loosened against the tension surface 154.

In a preferred embodiment, the tensioning assembly 156 includes a tension clamp or brake shoe 158, which is preferably nylon, delron, or like material, having a mating surface 160 that is contoured to engage the tension surface 154. A biasing member 162, such as a spring or pair of springs, biases the mating surface 160 of the brake shoe 158 against the tension surface 154. A positioning member 164, such as a set screw, pin, or the like, may be used to increase or decrease the resistance of the tension shoe 158 as described above. That is, for example, the positioning member 164 may be used to move the brake shoe 158 into a tighter or looser engagement with the tension surface 154. As the brake shoe 158 is tightened or loosened against the tension surface 154, more or less friction therebetween provides the increased or decreased resistance to the rotation of the lower bearing portion 112 as discussed above. The upper bearing portion 110 is preferably similar to the lower bearing portion 112 and is preferably joined to the elongate body 140 in a like fashion with a similar braking mechanism 153.

Referring to the upper bearing portion 110 illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, in which the bearing half-members 142 a and 142 b are illustrated assembled together with a fastener 141, the bearing portion 110 also forms a slot 170 to receive a portion of the wings 104 therein. The wing 104 is then secured to the bearing 110 in the slot 170 with a suitable fastener. The lower bearing portion 112, when assembled, also forms a similar slot 170. Therefore, the wing 104 is secured to both the upper bearing portion 110 and the lower bearing portion 112. In this manner, the wing 104 is secured to the central shaft 140 through a pair of bearing via the bearing portions 110 and 112. Such configuration is advantageous in that the dual support of the wings 104 at both bearing portions 110 and 112 distributes the weight of the wings 104 and the torque due to the items stored in the storage member 12 through the central shaft body 140.

As will be further described below, the storage device 12 further includes a knob assembly 172 and a handle assembly 174, which are both used to permit rotation of the bearing portions 110, 112 relative to the elongate body 140 and also to lock the bearing portion 112 relative to the body 140 to prevent relative motion therebetween. Because the wings 104 are attached to the bearing portions 110, 112 via the slots 170, as the bearing portions 110, 112 are rotated relative to the body 140, the wings 104 are also rotated relative to the body 104 in a similar rotational direction. Preferably, the upper bearing portion 110 includes the knob assembly 172 while the lower bearing portion 112 includes the pull handle assembly 174. However, both the bearing portions 110, 112 may have either of the assemblies 172 or 174 as desired. Optionally, while it is preferred that the storage device 12 include both the knob assembly 172 and the handle assembly 174, the device 12 may also include only one of either the knob assembly 172 or the handle assembly 174.

Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the rotation and locking of the bearing portions 110, 112 will be described in more detail. Turning first to the lower bearing portion 112, FIG. 8 depicts the handle assembly 174 that is preferably included with the lower bearing portion 112. The handle assembly 174 includes a pull handle 176 joined to a biased locking pin 178. That is, in one embodiment, the pin 178 includes an externally threaded portion 180 that is received through an open shaft 184 in the lower bearing portion half-member 142 a and joined to the handle 176 via an internally threaded aperture 182 in the handle 176. Opposite the handle 176, the pin 178 also includes an enlarged stop member 186 having a stop surface 188 facing the handle 176. Between the inner surface 146 of the lower bearing portion half-member 142 a and the stop surface 188, the pin 176 further includes a biasing member 190, such as a spring, surrounding the pin 178. The biasing member 190 biases the handle 176 against the outer surface of lower bearing portion 112, and as further described below, biases the locking pin 178 within an interfering or locking position with the central shaft 140.

As depicted in FIG. 8, the inner diameter of the internally threaded handle aperture 182 may be larger than the outer diameter of the externally threaded portion 180 of the pin 178. As a result, a coupling member 184 may be provided to allow the pin 178 and the handle 176 to be joined even with varying diameters. For instance, the coupling member 184 includes an outer diameter having external threads 184 a sized to be threadably received in the handle aperture 182 as well as an inner aperture 184 b having internal threads sized to threadably receive the threaded portion 180 of the locking pin 178 therein.

Once the lower bearing portion 112 and handle assembly 174 are assembled as described above on the central shaft 100, the biasing member 190 preferably biases the locking pin 178 within an interfering or locking position. That is, the biasing member 190 biases an end 192 of the locking pin 178 within one of a plurality of locking holes 200 in the bearing recess 144 b of the central shaft 100 (see FIG. 9). When in this locking position, the interference of the pin end 192 within the locking holes 200 prevents the lower bearing portion 112 from rotating relative to the central shaft 140. When it is desired to rotate the bearing portion 112, the pull handle 176 is pulled away from the bearing portion 112 to counter-bias the pin 178 so that the pin end 192 is retracted from the locking hole 200. At such point, the lower bearing portion 112, as well as the attached wing 104, is free to rotate relative to the central shaft body 140. Once the pin 178 is counter-biased out of the locking hole 200, the lower bearing 112 can be rotationally positioned around the central shaft 140 such that the pin 176 may be aligned with another locking hole 200. At such new locking hole 200, the pin end 192 is again biased into the new locking hole 200 via the biasing member 190 to prevent further rotation of the bearing member 112. As will be described below, because the wing 104 is attached to both the upper bearing portion 110 and the lower bearing portion 112, upon unlocking the upper bearing portion 100, the unlocking and rotation of the lower bearing 112 also rotates the upper bearing portion 110 and, therefore, the entire storage device 12.

As shown in FIG. 7, the central shaft 140 preferably includes a plurality of locking holes 200 that are circumferentially spaced about the central shaft 140 within the bearing recess 144 b along the friction surface 154. Each of the locking holes 200 corresponds to a predetermined position of the storage device 40. As depicted, the central shaft 140 includes four locking holes 200 that are positioned about every 90°around the shaft body 140 such that the locking holes 200 correspond to a forward, rearward, inboard, and outboard position to which the storage device 12 may be positioned. It will be appreciated, however, that any number of the locking holes 200 may be provided depending on the number of predetermined positions desired.

The friction surface 154 of the central shaft bearing recess 144 may also include surface features for directing the pin end 192 towards the locking holes 200. For example, the regions laterally proximate each locking hole 200 on the friction surface 154 may be generally flat transversely to the direction of the locking hole 200 or be recessed into the locking hole 200 such that the biased pin 178 contacting this proximate region is generally directed towards the locking hole 200. Moreover, this proximate region would also allow an operator to tactilely recognize or “feel” when the pin 178, which is not located in a particular locking hole 200 but is contacting the proximate region, is either moving towards or away from the particular locking hole 200 based on the increased or decreased resistance to rotation of the bearing portion 112 and the handle 176.

Turning to the upper bearing portion 110, FIG. 9 illustrates the half-bearing member 142 a together with the knob assembly 172. As opposed to the biased handle assembly 174, the knob assembly 172 includes a static pin member 210 extending through an opening 211 in the bearing half member 142 a and joined to a holding knob 212, preferably with a threaded engagement. The pin member 210 has an enlarged, inwardly angled end 214 that tapers to a flat end surface 216. The angled or tapered configuration of the end 214 permits the pin 210 to easily translate into and out of holes 200, which are also disposed in the upper bearing recess 144 a in a like fashion as described above with regard to the lower bearing recess 144 b, in conjunction with the unlocking and rotation of the lower bearing 212, as previously described. Optionally, the pin member 210 may also include a protective shaft 218 surrounding the pin 210.

Preferably, the knob assembly 172 permits the storage device to be tightly secured to the elongate body 140. For instance, once the storage device is positioned so that both the knob assembly 172 and the handle assembly 174 engage the holes 200 as described above, the knob 212 is rotated to translate the pin end 214 into its corresponding hole 200. The knob 212 may be rotated until the pin end 214 is tightly secured within the hole 200. In this manner, the storage device 12 is tightly secured to the elongate body 140 and prevented from further rotation. Of course, if the knob 212 is not tightened as described above, the biasing of the handle assembly 174 into the holes 200 will still prevent the further rotation of the storage device 12 about the elongate body 140. When it is desired to reposition the storage device 12 to a new position about the elongate body 140, the knob assembly 172 is first loosened by turning the knob 212 in the opposite direction to translate the pin end 214 out of its corresponding holes 200. Once the end 214 is sufficiently removed from the hole 200, the handle assembly 174 is counter biased as previously described to permit the storage device to move relative to the elongate body.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the pin end 214 is enlarged relative to the diameter of the hole 211. In this manner, when loosening the knob assembly 172, the pin 210 is prevented from being inadvertently removed from the bearing portion 110 because the enlarged head 214 will engage the inner surface of the bearing member 142 a and thus be prevented from being removed from the bearing portion 110.

When in use, the holding knob 212 is preferably used in conjunction with the pull handle 176 to rotate the storage device 12 about the central shaft body 140. As described above, the user first unlocks or unscrews the holding knob 212 to translate the pin 210 from its corresponding hole 200. At this point, the storage device may not yet rotate freely due to the handle assembly 174 still being locked. To rotate the storage device 12, the user pulls the handle 176 away from the bearing portion 112 to counter bias the pin 178 such that the pin end 192 is also removed from its corresponding hole. Upon removal of both pins 210 and 178 from their corresponding holes 200, the storage device 12 is unlocked at both bearing portions 110 and 112 and, therefore, also free to rotate above the elongate body 140.

To rotate the storage device 12 to a new position, in one form, the user rotates the lower bearing portion 112, as described above, with one hand, while the user's second hand grasps the holding knob 212 to rotate the upper bearing portion 212 in a corresponding direction. Once the storage device 12 has been rotated to a new position corresponding to a new hole 200, the handle 176 is first released so that the pin end 192 may again be biased into the new positioning hole 200. At such point, the storage device 12 will be prevented from further rotation and is in a locking engagement with the central shaft 100.

If desired to tightly lock the storage device 12, the knob assembly 172 may be tightly secured to the elongate body 140 as described above by rotating the knob 212 to translate the pin end 214 into its corresponding hole 200. While the biasing of the handle assembly 174 into its corresponding hole 200 is sufficient to prevent further rotation, tightly securing the knob assembly 172 is preferred to prevent the storage device 12 from rattling, vibrating, or rubbing against the elongate body 140 due to motion of the boat 14. Moreover, it is also preferred that the pin end 214 be received in the corresponding hole 200 as merely tightening the pin end 214 on the central shaft elongate body 140 may damage the surface of the body 140 such as by compressing, scarring, or dimpling the surface of the elongate body 140.

Additionally, if desired, when in use, if the user feels that the rotation of the storage device 12 is either too restrictive or too free (i.e., too loose), then the user may adjust the tension on either of the upper bearing portion 110, lower bearing portion 112, or both by adjusting their corresponding braking mechanisms 153 as previously described. The braking mechanisms 153 are advantageous to control the speed of rotation of the storage device 12, which are often tilted inboard or outboard depending on the orientation of the tower support leg 22 where it may rotate at a fast rate of speed due to the angle of the storage device 12 and the weight of the items stored thereon. The braking mechanism 153, therefore, helps prevent sudden shifting of the storage device 12 upon the unlocking and provides a device to adjust the amount of force required to rotate an unlocked storage device.

In an alternative form, as illustrated in FIGS. 10-12, a modified tower 1010 and storage device 1012 are illustrated. The modified tower 1010 has a front support structure 1014, a rear support structure 1016, and a plurality of bridges 1018 connecting the front support structure 1014 and the rear support structure 1016. In this alternative embodiment, the front support structure 1014 includes a front crossbar 1015 spanning a pair of front support arms 1020 secured to the boat by respective front anchors 1022. As with the tower 10, the front anchors 1022 provide a predetermined mounting orientation between the front support arms 1020 and a boat surface (not shown) so that the front cross bar 1015 is elevated a predetermined distance above the boat surface for ease of an individual's movement in the passenger compartment of the boat. The rear support structure 1016 includes a rear cross bar 1017 spanning a pair of rear support legs 1024 secured to the boat by respective rear anchors 1028. The rear anchors 1028 include a pivoting joint, such as a hinge joint 1032 formed between the rear support legs 1024 and the rear anchor 1028.

The tower 1010 is collapsible. In this regard, each of the front support arms 1020 includes a connection 1034 with the front crossbar 1015 that is preferably quickly and easily connected or disconnected so that the front crossbar 1015 and an upper, corner portion 1036 of each of the front support arms 1020 may be separated from a lower portion 1038 of each front support arm 1020. Once separated, the lower portion 1038 of the front support arm 1020 may be collapsed such as being folded forward onto itself with a hinge joint 1040. Furthermore, when separated, the rear support legs 1024 of the rear support structure 1016 may rotate around the rear anchors 1028 so that the rear support structure 1016 and the portion of the front support structure 1014 (i.e. the crossbar 1015 and corner portions 1036) connected thereto by the bridges 1018 may be lowered downward.

As depicted in FIG. 10, the tower 1010 also includes two storage devices 1012, which are each secured to or formed from the rear support legs 1024 of the rear support structure 1016. However, as with the tower 10, the tower 1010 may also be provided with a single storage device 1012 or with several storage devices 1012. Additionally, the storage devices 1012 may be provided on the front support arms 1020 or on other intermediate support legs (not shown). Broadly speaking, the storage device 1012 need not be mounted on any portion of the tower 1010. It is simply viewed as convenient to do so when such a tower 10 is present on the boat.

The depicted storage devices 1012 are shown in a generally rearwardly facing position. As previously described with regard to the storage device 12, the storage devices 1012 may also be moved between and to a plurality of positions, preferably by rotating about itself. To simplify such rotation, it is preferred that the storage device rotate around a central shaft 1050 (see FIGS. 11 and 13) shared with the rear support leg 1024, and, preferably, are vertically oriented.

As shown in FIG. 10, each rear support leg 1024 has an upper leg portion 1052 and a lower leg portion 1054 with the storage device 1012 located therebetween. In this depicted embodiment, the central shaft 150 is generally vertical while the balance of the rear support structure 1016 is not vertical. It should also be noted that the upper leg portion 1052 and the lower leg portion 1054 may form a single piece with the storage device 1012 mounted thereon, may form a plurality of pieces joined together, or may have other portions generally vertical. Furthermore, the storage device 1012 may also include an adapter portion mountable around a non-vertical portion such that the adapter forms the vertical central shaft 1050.

As shown in FIG. 11, the central shaft 1050 is integral with a mount section 1060 wherein the mount section 60 is either integral with or joinable to the upper and lower leg portions 1052, 1054 by connections 1062. As much of the tower 1010 is formed of tubular material such as steel or aluminum, the connections 1062 are cylindrical for being received with an end of the upper or lower leg portions 1052, 1054. Although, the configuration may be reversed and many other types of connections may be used, such as the mounts 102 a, 102 b described with the previous embodiment. Each connection 1062 is oriented in a direction, represented by arrows C1 and C2, generally along a center line of the portion 1052, 1054 of the rear support structure 1016 to which the connection 1062 is secured. As can be seen, the central shaft 1050 has an axis of rotation R through it center. The axis R being generally vertical as above-described. As can also be seen, arrows C1 and C2 have a skew orientation relative to the axis R.

The connections 1062 are secured to the central shaft 1050 similar to how the upper and lower mounts 102 a, 102 b are secured to the central shaft 100. For example, bolts 1066, which are presently depicted as being driven through a recess 1068 aligned with the axis R, may be used to secure the connections 1062 to the central shaft 1050. A pair of pegs 1069 is used at the junction between the connection 1062 and the central shaft 1050 to ensure proper orientation between the central shaft 1050 and the connection 1062 when secured. As described above, in order to provide a storage device 1012 for various towers 1010 where the direction, such as C1 and C2, of the adjoining portion of the tower 1010 vary, the only components that need to be changed or altered are the connections 1062. That is, the tower 1010 may not be tubular, may have an opening with a different gauge size to meet with the mount section 1060, or may have joining members (upper and lower leg portions 1052, 1054) at different angles from the axis R than those depicted by directions C1, C2. In this case, the connection 1062 with a mismatched configuration may simply be removed from the central shaft 1050 and replaced with another connection that is properly configured for that tower.

In this embodiment, the storage device 1012 includes a body 1070 that is secured to and rotates around the central shaft 1050. The body 1070 may be rotatably secured to the central shaft 1050 to form one or more bearings such as top bearing 1072 and bottom bearing 1074. Use of the top and bottom bearings 1072, 1074 distributes torque due to items stored in the device 1012 through the central shaft 1050 and the tower 1010 itself.

For each bearing 1072, 1074, the body 1070 includes a pair of half-cylinders such that the pair, when joined, form a cylindrical outer bearing portion 1076. An inner surface of the outer bearing portion 1076 includes grooves wherein the grooves contact similar mating grooves 1078 on the central shaft (see FIG. 12). The surfaces between the grooves of the outer bearing portion 1076 and the grooves 1078 of the central shaft 1050 may be formed of or covered by a low-friction material, such as nylon or delron, or may be lubricated such as with a material suitable for marine lubrication applications. The body 1070 further includes a frame 1080, which in the presented embodiment, includes two half-frames 1082 where each is secured to the outer bearing portions 1076. A representational rack 1090 is shown secured to the frame 1080 (see FIG. 10) as to securements 1092 (see FIG. 11). The rack 1090, as depicted, is designed to receive elongate or board-like objects such as skis, poles, wakeboards, and the like.

As discussed above, the storage device 1012 may be provided with a plurality of positions. As can be seen in FIG. 12, the portion of the central shaft 1050 forming the top bearing 1072 includes a portion 1096 with ports or holes 1098, each hole 1098 corresponding to a particular position. In the preferred embodiments, the holes 1098 are located about every 90° such that the holes 1098 correspond to a forward, rearward, inboard, or outboard position to which the storage device 1012 may be rotated. It should be noted that number and orientation of the holes 1098 may be varied to provide for more or different positions for the storage device 1012.

The storage device 1012 may be rotated around the central shaft 1050, as has been discussed, and positioned according to the holes 1098. More specifically, the outer bearing portion 1076 of the top bearing 1072, for instance, may have a spring-loaded pin 1100 mounted on a knob 1102 similar to the handle assembly 174 described with the previous embodiment. The pin 1100 is spring-biased to an interfering or locking position with the holes 1098. That is, when the storage device 1012 is rotationally positioned such that the pin 1100 is aligned with a hole 1098, the pin 1100 is spring-biased into the hole 1098 such that the storage device 1012 is prevented from further rotation. In order to allow the storage device 1012 to rotate, the knob 1102 is pulled outward, thereby counter-biasing the pin 1100 so that the pin 1100 retracts from the hole 1098 and, thus, the storage device 1012 is released such that the storage device 1012 may be rotated. In addition, the portion 1096 of the central shaft 1050 may include similar surface features for directing the pin 1100 towards the holes 1098 as described above with the previous embodiment.

It should be noted that the present embodiments have been described principally in reference to the boat 14. However, the storage devices 12, 1012 and/or the towers 10, 1010 could be used with other vehicles, such as off-road vehicles, snowmobiles, and the like as well as other support structures such as rigging, scaffolding, and the like. Furthermore, the storage devices 12, 1012 describe a rotatable mount that may be also adapted for uses other than a storage device with the exemplary rack 44, 1090, such as rotatably mounting a light, speaker, camera, or other implements.

While the invention has been described with respect to specific examples including presently preferred modes of carrying out the invention, those skilled in the art will appreciate that there are numerous variations and permutations of the above described systems and techniques that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. An apparatus for securing items, the apparatus comprising: a central portion; an upper bearing and a lower bearing operably coupling the central portion to a portion of a support structure and permitting the apparatus to rotate relative to the support structure portion; and a body portion for securement of the items.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body portion includes a frame for receiving items for securement.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the body portion permits securement of items thereto.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus may be substantially locked in at least a first position.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4 further including a biased locking member, a receptacle for each locked position, the position of the apparatus being substantially locked by receipt of the locking member within one of the receptacles.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus includes a braking mechanism operably coupled to one of the upper bearing and the lower bearing to adjustably control the relative rotation.
 7. In combination with a superstructure on a boat, an apparatus for securement of items, the apparatus comprising: a central portion; an upper connection for securing the central portion to an upper portion of the superstructure; a lower connection for securing the central portion to a lower portion of the superstructure, the upper and lower connections being positioned to allow rotation of the central portion about the upper and lower portions of the superstructure; and a body portion for securement of the items.
 8. The combination of claim 7 wherein each of the upper and lower connections have first and second portions positionable about the upper and lower portions of the superstructure, the first and second portions being joined to secure the connections to the superstructure.
 9. The combination of claim 8 wherein the upper and lower portions of the superstructure include a respective upper terminus and lower terminus, and the apparatus is securable to and between the upper terminus and lower terminus.
 10. A superstructure for a boat, the superstructure comprising: an extending portion secured relative to a deck of the boat, the extending portion having a first mounting portion and a second mounting portion; an apparatus for securement of items, the apparatus rotatable relative to the extending portion; and an upper bearing and a lower bearing mountable to the extending portion mounting portions for operably coupling the apparatus to the extending portion.
 11. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein the bearings are securable around the mounting portions.
 12. The superstructure of claim 11 wherein the mounting portions and bearings include cooperating bearing surfaces and grooves providing for relative motion therebetween.
 13. The superstructure of claim 10 further including a body portion, wherein the mounting portions each include a terminus, the apparatus is secured to each terminus, and the bearing portions permit relative motion between the body portion and each terminus.
 14. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein the apparatus is lockable in at least a first position relative to the extending portion.
 15. The superstructure of claim 14 further including a receptacle for each lockable position, wherein the apparatus includes a biased pin, and the apparatus being positionable relative to each receptacle to permit the biased pin to be received in a receptacle to lock substantially the position of the apparatus relative to the extending portion
 16. The superstructure of claim 10 wherein one of the upper bearing and the lower bearing includes a braking mechanism to adjustably control the rotation of the apparatus relative to the extending portion.
 17. An accessory device including: a central portion having an upper end and a lower end; a bearing portion generally secured around a portion of the central portion and rotatable relative thereto; an upper securement and a lower securement respectively provided on the central portion upper and lower ends; and a securing member shiftable relative to the central portion and bearing portion between a first position permitting the bearing portion to rotate relative to the central portion and a second position generally restricting relative rotation between the central portion and the bearing portion.
 18. The accessory device of claim 17 wherein the upper and lower securements are fixedly securable with respective portions of a superstructure on a boat.
 19. The accessory device of claim 17 wherein the central portion includes receiving structure for the securing member, the receiving structure defining a plurality of selectable positions for the bearing portion relative to the central portion, and the securing member is received by the receiving structure to generally restrict relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
 20. The accessory device of claim 19 wherein the securing member includes a threaded portion threadably received by the bearing portion, the threaded portion having an end received by the receiving structure for preventing relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
 21. The accessory device of claim 19 wherein the securing member includes an elongate portion linearly shiftable relative to the bearing portion and central portion, the elongate portion having an end received by the receiving structure for restricting relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion.
 22. The accessory device of claim 21 further including a second securing member including a threaded portion threadably received by the bearing portion, the threaded portion having an end received by a portion a second receiving structure for preventing relative rotation between the bearing portion and the central portion. 